Many pediatricians recommend that kids, both vegan and non-vegan, take a multivitamin, and that before age 3, it should be liquid rather than chewable. Older kids might still need a liquid vitamin for various reasons.
Our doctor recommended Poly-vi-Sol – a popular multivitamin made by huge company Enfamil – for our toddler. He didn’t know whether it was vegan, but said if it wasn’t, any vegan alternative would do.
It turns out that Poly-vi-Sol is not vegan – their Vitamin D comes from lanolin from captive or killed sheep. So, I’ve been looking for the best vegan liquid multivitamin for toddlers.
Jump down for a list of options I’ve found or keep reading for details.
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Which Vitamins Should Be Included in a Vegan Liquid Multivitamin for Toddlers?
Please ask your child’s doctor to approve any multivitamin, and ask if there are any particular vitamins you should make sure are included.
I have yet to find a consensus on which exact vitamins should be included, let alone whether vitamins are truly even necessary. The NHS in the UK recommends all children ages 6 months to 5 years old take a daily dose of Vitamins A, C, and D unless they already receive these from formula. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics writes that vitamins for children are often not necessary.
Every multivitamin seems to have a slightly different selection of vitamins and dosages, and there are even variations within a particular vitamin that effect how it is absorbed and whether it may cause a stomach ache.
Some nutrients that can be trickier to get on a vegan diet include B12, Vitamin D, Omega Fats, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Iodine, and Riboflavin. You know best what your child eats. If they consume fortified cereals and vegan milks, they may already be good for certain vitamins.
Omega supplements are often found separate from a multivitamin, like Mary Ruth’s vegan Omega 3 infant and toddler drops – we put these in smoothies.
Iron or no iron?
Some multivitamins have iron, some don’t. Please ask your doctor if your child should take a multivitamin with iron or not.
If you do want to give your child an iron supplement, you should know that calcium can block iron absorption, and is not included in supplements that have iron. If you want a multivitamin with calcium, then you should buy a separate iron supplement like Mary Ruth’s liquid iron for kids and adults.
Iron supplements can sometimes cause an upset stomach and you may have to try a few options. Iron is also found in many vegan foods like tofu, lentils, and spinach. You can aid iron absorption by adding Vitamin C, for example, by squeezing some lemon juice on your spinach.
A vegan version of Poly-vi-Sol
I’m focusing on Poly-vi-Sol as a point of comparison because our doctor recommended it, and it’s in wide use. And, though the doctor said of liquid multi-vitamins, “they’re all the same,” they actually aren’t.
There are even two versions of Poly-vi-Sol – one with iron, one without. I did find one pretty close vegan equivalent to Poly-vi-Sol with Iron: NovaFerrum’s DELISH! which I’ve included first on the list below. Please note that NovaFerrum’s liquid multivitamin without Iron (MMM!) is not vegan as of September 2021 because it has vitamin D from sheep.
Both DELISH! and Poly-vi-Sol have Vitamins A, D, E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and B6 in similar dosages.
DELISH! has B12, but no Vitamin C. Poly-vi-Sol has Vitamin C, but no B12.
For a vegan, getting B12 is harder than Vitamin C, so it might make more sense to take the DELISH!
The other main difference is that Poly-vi-sol uses iron from ferrous sulfate, and DELISH! uses Polysaccharide Iron Complex (PIC). According to studies, ferrous sulfate may be easier to absorb, but PIC still will raise iron levels, and is less likely to cause stomach ache.
Please consult with your doctor about what kind of iron, if any, to give your child.
How do vegan liquid multivitamins taste?
Every liquid multivitamin I looked at has mixed reviews about the taste. Some people find they have to mix them with a smoothie, others have better results taking the vitamin directly.
We are currently using Mary Ruth’s Raspberry Morning Liquid Vitamin. It tastes like berry flavored cough syrup. I can drink it but my kid won’t. We are having better luck mixing it with juice for him.
Watch out for vitamins that appear vegan but are not.
I just want to add that if you google it, you’ll find other blogs that claim to list “the best vegan liquid multivitamin,” yet their lists include non-vegan products! The Clean Green Simple website is an example. The author likely searched for “vegan supplement” on Amazon, and never bothered to check if it was actually a vegan product. Usually the culprit is Vitamin D.
Also, beware of vegan symbols on packaging that may be made up or not from a reputable certification service. If you’re unsure, reach out to customer service and ask for clarification. The only certifications I’d trust right now on vitamins are from Vegan Society and Vegan Action.
At the bottom of this page after the list of vegan vitamins, I’ll include a list of vitamins I know are not vegan.
So, here’s what I’ve found in my own search. I’ve double-checked with each company to make sure they stand by their product being vegan.
List of Vegan Liquid Multivitamins for Toddlers
(Please visit product page for exact dosages and double-check before purchasing in case the formula has changed. And please get approval from your pediatrician before giving your child a new vitamin.)
NovaFerrum DELISH! Vegan Multivitamin with Iron for Infants and Toddlers (Organic Plant-Based D-3)
- As of 8/27/2021 this product includes: Vitamin A, D3, E, B6, B12 (cyanocobalamin), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Elemental Iron.
- Flavor: Raspberry Grape
- Note: As of 9/10/2021, Novaferrum’s other liquid multivitamin without iron (MMM!) is not vegan. I will update this if they change the formula.
Mary Ruth’s Strawberry Liquid Morning Multivitamin Essentials+
- This product is for both kids and adults, with specific dosages by age listed on the bottle.
- As of 8/27/2021 this product includes: Vitamin A, C, D3, E, K, B6, B12, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Zinc, Chromium, plus a “Whole Body Maintenance and Support Blend,” and “Immune Support Blend.”
Mary Ruth’s Raspberry Morning Liquid Multivitamin
- This product is for kids and adults, with specific dosages by age.
- As of 9/10/2021 this product includes: Vitamin A, C, D3, E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, Folate, B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Zinc, Chromium, plus Inositol, Hesperidin, Betaine, OptiMSM, Concentrace, Amino Acid Complex (BCAA).
Best Nest Wellness Multi+ for Kids Tropical Flavor, Liquid Multivitamin
- As of 9/10/2021 this product includes: Vitamin A, C, D, E, Thiomine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, Folate, B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum, Potassium, Choline.
- Buy direct from Best Nest or from Amazon.
Green Peach Advanced Multiple Vitamin for Kids
- As of 9/10/2021 this product contains: Vitamin A, C, E, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, Folate, B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Calcium, Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum, Potassium, Plant-based Trace Mineral Complex, Magnesium, Inositol.
- Note: this product does not contain Vitamin D, which all of the others have.
Garden of Life Baby Multivitamin Liquid*
- *Garden of Life was acquired by Nestle, a company that many vegans, including myself, try to boycott.
- As of 9/10/2021 this product includes: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, Folate, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium
- Certified vegan by Vegan Action.
- Certified gluten-free.
Below is a list of NOT VEGAN liquid multivitamins
As of 8/28/2021, these vegan liquid multivitamins are NOT vegan:
- Wellgenix Balanced Essentials Liquid Kids Vitamin (The company initially responded that the product was vegan, but when asked about the source of Vitamin D, turns out its from sheep!)
- ChildLife Essentials Multivitamin and Mineral
- Poly-vi-Sol with and without Iron
- Feel Great 365 Kids Daily Boost Liquid Multivitamin (they are planning on switching to a vegan formula soon)
- Nova Ferrum Mmm!
- Tropical Oasis Kids Liquid Multivitamin
- NaturesPlus Animal Parade Liquid Children’s Multi-Vitamin
- SmartyPants Baby Multi & DHA Liquid Multivitamin
- Trace Minerals Kids Multi
I hope this page has been helpful. Please feel free to share any thoughts in the comments.
What do you think?